Collapsible wardrobe



Feb. zo, 1934. l A, STONE l 1,947,955

COLLAPS IBL WARDROBE Filed July 6, 1933 y 2"`SheetsSheet l Af-fig! A lz'Y wwf@ /4 A /6 v ATTORNEYS Feb. 20, 1934. A, STONE 1,947,955

coLLAPsIBLE WARDROBE Filed July 6. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYSPatented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention has to do with containers and, while not restricted tosuch use, the present invention has more particular reference to a container which is designed to serve in the capacity of a wardrobe for thestorage of Wearing apparel in order to protect the same fromdeterioration or damage, by dust, moths or other hazards to which theyare subjected if left in the usual clothes closets.

'Ihe invention aims to provide a container composed of sections made upof comparatively light weight stock, which sections, while they may bereadily assembled or.disassembled, are so interbraced and reinforcedwhen assembled that the intertting porti-ons intimately contact toeiectually seal the joints against the ingress of moths or other insectsand dust or other foreign matter which may prove harmful to thecontents,

while the seal is also effective against the egress of vaporousinsecticides.

The invention further comprehends a multiple compartment containerhaving a body section which includes wall-forming portions anddoorforming portions together with a partition hingedly connected with awall-forming portion so as to fold into a plane substantially parallelto the door and wall-forming portions.

As a further feature the invention embodies base and cover sectionswhich are so constructed as to effectually intert with the upper andlower ends of the body in order to establish an effective seal inaddition to serving as a means for engaging with the wall-formingportions of the body and with the partition to retain the body andpartition in xed relation when set up.

The invention further resides in the provision of means within the bodystructure which serves as an internal reinforcement and as a support forshelving which may be optionally employed in connection with thecontainer. a l.

The invention aims for some of its other objects, to provide a containerfor wardrobe which is comparatively simple in its construction and easyto set up or knock down, and which is inexpensive to produce.

With the above recited and other objects in view which will hereinafterappear, reference is made to the following specification andaccompanying drawings in which there is set forth a preferred form ofthe invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container or wardrobe constructed inaccordance with the invention and illustrating the same in its set up'closed condition.

(Cl. S12-14:4)`

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view takenapproximately on a plane indicated on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view taken on a plane indicated on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line4.-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an inner face view of either the base or top section.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view 65 taken approximately onthe line 6-6 of Fig. 3, and on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 7 is a similar view taken approximately on the line '7--7 of Fig.3.

Fig. 8 is an end view vof the body section in 70 partly collapsedcondition.

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 1 of eitherthe base or top portions of the container.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designatesgenerally the body section of the container or wardrobe, B the base orend section and C the cover or other end section which sections aredesigned to be assembled to provide the container or wardrobe ordisassembled for nesting of the same in a collapsed condition so as tooccupy a minimum amount of space for storage or transportation and toafford compact arrangement for over-the-counter sales.

The body section A is shown in the present dis- B5 closure as consistingof a rear wall 10, side walls 11 and 12 higedly connected to each otherand doors 13 and 14 hingedly connected to the side walls 1l and 12 andwhich Walls and doors may be formed integrally as shown or otherwisewithin the scope of the invention. The doorforming portions 13 and 14are of lesser height than the height of the wall-forming portions 10, 11and 12 and are provided at their free edges with hingedly connectediiaps 15 and 16.

The body section further includes a partition wall 17 which is hingedlyattached to the inner surface of the rear wall 10 so that when the bodyis collapsed or folded said partition may be swung into a planesubstantially parallel with the rear wall and with the folded side wallsand doors as illustrated in Figf of the drawings.

The base and cover or end sections B and C are substantially identicalin construction and each of said sections includes a rectangular panel-20 attached to a cross sectional angulated frame 21 to lie within theangle, with the marginal edges 22 of the panel spaced from the inwardlydirected flange 23 of the frame to define therebetween afgroove orchannel 24 within which is im telescopically tted the upper and loweredges of the body walls 10, 11 and 12 and the reinforcing strips 25secured to the inner face of said Walls adjacent their edges. In orderto lock and retain the base and cover sections B and C in assembledrelation with the body section, spring clips 26 are carriedsby the baseand cover sections and project inwardly therefrom and are provided withbills 27 which snap behind the innermost edges of the reinforcing strips25. When thus assembled, the sections A, B and C are interbraced to makefor a rigid sealed structure.

The end sections A and B, at their front sides, are formed with abutmentstrips 28 which are secured to the flanges 23 and project inwardlytherebeyond so that the upper and lower edges of the door-formingportions 13 and 14 contact therewith and are stopped thereby whenclosed. The forward or free edge of the partition is provided with achanneled reinforcing strip 29 which, in addition to preventingdistortion of the free edge, serves as a parting strip against which theflaps 15 and 16 impinge to seal the enclosure. This strip is recessed toprovide a shoulder 30 adjacent each end thereof to accommodate theflanges 23 of the frames 21 with the edges of the flanges abuttingagainst the said shoulders and with the extreme ends of the stripttingly engaged in sockets 31 formed in the end sections A and Brespectively.

The body section A is provided with a reinforced strip 32 securedagainst the inner faces of each of the side walls 11 and 12 and againstone face of the partition wall 17 which strips are notched at theirupper ends to receive a cross bar 33 extending through an opening in thepartition 1'7, for supporting wearing apparel suspended on the usualclothes hanger. One of the compartments may be optionally provided withone or more shelves 34 removably supported on vertical reinforcingstrips 35 secured against one face of the partition 17 and against theinner face of the side wall 12 adjacent the longitudinal edges thereof.The strips 35 are recessed as at 36 to receive the shelves 34 which areprovided with depending metal spring tongues 37 which slidably engagebetween the said strips and the partition and side wall respectively.

Preferably the body section A and the panels 20 of the end sections Aand B are constructed of light weight material such as plain orcorrugated cardboard or light weight fiber board which is relativelyinexpensive so that the container may be constructed at small cost,while the frames and the several reinforcing strips are preferablyconstructed of wood or other rigid material, which serves to interbraceand reinforce the walls of the container to prevent sagging or bulgingthereof.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knock-down wardrobe, a body section including hingedly connectedside and rear wallforming portions and a partition-forming portionhingedly connected along one edge to said rear wall-forming portion andhaving a reinforcing member secured over the forward edge thereof, baseand cover sections each including a panel having an inwardly directedmarginal flange telescopically tted over the upper and lower edgesrespectively of the wall-formingportions, said flanges each havinginwardly extended abutments at the front of the wardrobeproviding arecess therebetween to receive the ends respectively of the reinforcingmember for securing the partition-forming portion in Set up relation,

2. In a knock-down wardrobe, a body section including a hingedlyconnected partition-forming portion having a reinforcing member securedto the forward edge thereof, a base section and a cover section, saidbase and cover sections each having a marginal flange telescopicallyconnecting the said base and cover sections respectively with the endsof the body section andsaid flanges each having means providing an innerrecess at the side of the section opposite to the hinge connection ofsaid partition-forming portion to receive therein the ends respectivelyof the reinforcing member for securing the partition-forming portion inset up relation.

3. In' a knock-down wardrobe, a body section including a sidewall-forming portion, and a rear wall forming portion hingedly connectedto said side wall-forming portion, a door-forming portion hingedlyconnected to said side wall-forming portion and a partition-formingportion hingedly connected along one edge to said rear wall-formingportion and having a reinforcing member secured against the forward edgethereof, base and cover sections each including a panel having aninwardly directed marginal flange telescopically connecting the saidbase and cover sections with the wall-forming portions, said flangeseach having a pair of spaced apart inner abutments at the front of thewardrobe forming stops for the ends of the door-forming portionsrespectively and providing a recess therebetween to receive the endsrespectively of the reinforcing member for securing thepartition-forming portion in set up relation.

4. In a knock-down wardrobe, a body section including hingedly connectedrear and side walls, a door hingedly connected to the front edge of eachside wall and a vertical partition providing together with said rear andside walls laterally spaced contiguous compartments and said partitionbeing hingedly connected to the rear wall and Ahaving its free forwardedge disposed between the doors and serving as a parting strip againstwhich the free edges of the doors impinge to seal the compartments, andsaid walls, doors and partition lying in substantially parallel planeswhen in collapsed condition and being swingable from a collapsedcondition to a set up condition.

5. In a knock-down wardrobe, a body section including hingedly connectedrear and side walls, a door hingedly connected to the front edge of eachside wall and a vertical partition hingedly connected to the-rear walland having its free forward edge disposed between the doors and servingas a parting strip against which the free edges of the doors impinge toseal the laterally spaced contiguous compartments formed by saidpartition and said walls, and said walls, doors, and partition lying` insubstantially parallel planes when in collapsed condition and beingswingable from a collapsed condition to a set up condition, and base andcover sections so constructed and arranged as td interi-lt with theupper and lower edges of the rear and side walls and the partition tohold the same in ilxed position.

6. In a knock-down wardrobe, a body section including hingedly connectedrear and side walls, a door hingedly connected to the front edge of eachside walls and a vertical partition providing with said rear and sidewalls laterally spaced contiguous compartments ,and said partition beinghingedly connected to the rear wall so that said walls, doors andpartition lie in substantially parallel planes when in collapsedcondition and are Swingable from a collapsed condition to a set upcondition, base and cover sections so constructed and arranged as tointert with the upper and lower edges of the rear and side walls when inset up condition and means releasably holding the said base and coversections in fixed position thereon.

7. In a knock-down wardrobe, a body sectionI including hingedlyconnected rear and side walls and a. vertical partition hingedlyconnected to the rear wall so that said -walls and partition lie in

